I don’t have carpet, but I have kids and a dog and I clean the rugs every six months or so with an extractor. I just use a few drops of Tide and water.

Every few years or if something really bad happens I send them out to be fully washed.

Once a year for pro upholstery and carpet cleaning.

We have wood floors and rugs except our 5yo's room is carpeted. 2x a week I sprinkle arm and hammer rug deodorizer, let it sit, and then vacuum. I change out the rugs every 2-3 years when they start looking dingy (2 little kids + dog). We don't wear shoes in the house and clean the dogs paws as best as we can but obviously he's an animal that goes outside. We've rented a cleaner once for DD's carpet in 4 years. We installed the cheaper carpet with the intent to replace or rip out after she's no longer a little kid.

Anonymous wrote:If you don't wear shoes inside probably every 5 years. If you wear shoes inside every 2-3 years.

I don't recommend carpet in high traffic areas

Oh good point (after five years I guess renter here); none of my family where shoes inside and even guests who keep theirs on have already walked through a bunch of carpeted hallways to get the gunk off their shoes before they get to us. That probably cuts down on the need for cleaning.

OP, for toddler messes I use baking soda or nature’s miracle. No need to hire a professional.

It’s been ten years in this house and never. Three kids and a dog.

Are you Italian by any chance?

I haven't....when mine had reflux we had blankets covering floor and couch and still used a fair amount of folex. Now just toddler and sometimes use folex but not daily anymore

If you don't wear shoes inside probably every 5 years. If you wear shoes inside every 2-3 years.

I don't recommend carpet in high traffic areas

We could, however, go through several posts about how nasty people are if they are pretty normal about this, and about how intense our OCD is. That would fit the theme of things.

I minimized carpet cleaning during that time as I wanted to cut down their contact to the professional cleaning fluids at a time when they played predominantly on the floor.

Was it necessary? Who knows, but it made me feel better. Also, I think there are cleaners who use safer cleaning mixtures now...

Never? I mean I rent so I guess when I move which will be when my oldest is about five.

I….dont lol.

How often do you get the carpet professionally cleaned in high-traffic areas? My husband thinks I'm getting them cleaned too often, but the toddlers put the carpets through so much (spills, etc.) that even though I scrub the stains myself the amount of overall damage can get ridiculous quite quickly without a professional clean... Curious what others do. Maybe I'm too worried about this.